Warriors again pursue Kerr for coaching job

Stan Van Gundy reportedly reached agreement Tuesday with Detroit to make him the Pistons' coach and team president, leaving the Warriors to double back to their other top coaching candidate in Steve Kerr.

Kerr, the TNT broadcaster assigned to work Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder, has yet to reach agreement on a deal to coach the New York Knicks.

Former Suns general manager and current NBA analyst Steve Kerr could be a candidate to replace Mark Jackson as the Warriors' new coach. (Associated Press)

"Steve's a really thoughtful guy," Kerr's agent, Mike Tannenbaum, told ESPN Radio. "He's weighing all his options right now. Obviously, he has a very close relationship with (Knicks president) Phil Jackson, thinks the world of him. And we'll see where the next couple of days go.

"We're assessing options right now."

Van Gundy, the former Miami and Orlando coach, told Golden State he wanted total control of basketball decisions as a condition of taking the job, and the Warriors declined, an NBA source told Bay Area News Group columnist Tim Kawakami.

Detroit, which fired coach Maurice Cheeks midseason before announcing president of basketball operations Joe Dumars would step aside following a 29-win season, was apparently willing to offer that level of control to Van Gundy.

Advertisement

Van Gundy, who grew up a Warriors fan while attending Alhambra High in Martinez, verbally agreed to a five-year deal worth an estimated $35 million, ESPN.com reported. The Warriors were willing to offer a five-year contract worth between $25 million and $30 million, according to Yahoo Sports.

The Warriors left their meeting in Florida on Monday with Van Gundy convinced he was leaning toward Detroit's offer, according to Yahoo Sports.

"I look at jobs a little bit differently I think than even most coaches out there," Van Gundy told "The Dan Patrick Show" earlier this month. "The roster really is not of much concern to me.

"If you go in somewhere and you're on the same page, you have similar core values, similar philosophy to your front office, to your boss, then I think that is a really good job regardless of the roster. You could go in somewhere that has a great roster, but where you're going to be at odds with your front office because you don't agree with the way they do things, that to me is a bad job."

The Warriors were also reportedly scheduled to interview former Memphis coach Lionel Hollins at the Chicago Pre-Draft Combine this week. Hollins' agent did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Despite his lack of coaching experience, Kerr has been coveted by the Knicks as he won three NBA championships playing for Jackson. The former Chicago Bulls sharpshooter also has long-standing relationships with Joe and Kirk Lacob, who are part of the Warriors delegation renewing talks with him.

Tannenbaum told 95.7 The Game that Kerr's decision could come "sooner than later" but offered no timetable and did not discuss the Warriors, who could lose two top candidates to lottery-bound teams.

"If and when he makes that decision, it will be a lot of thought, a lot of consultation with a lot of people, and when he becomes a coach, I think he's going to do a great job," Tannenbaum said.